Fruit-pitting machine



W. REYNOLDS I FRUIT FITTING MACHINE Filed Jan;

mvENToR WinReynoZdS {3V Qua-a 5% Mum [ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1925.

" UNITED STATES WILLIAM REYNOLDS OF MARYSVILLE, GALIFOBN IA.

FRUIT-FITTING- MACHINE.

Application filed January 25, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for halving and pitting peaches and similar fruit.

My principal object is to provide an implement for the purpose by means of which the fruit is halved and the pits removed with a continuous operation. This is done without the use of any moving parts, the fruit being engaged with the cutting and pitting elements successively by hand pressure. There is nothing in the device to wear out or require lubrication, and the only attention necessary is an occasional resharp ening of the various edged members. This of course can easily be done since as will be hereinafter set forth, all said members are detachable separately from each other, so that they may be easily handled and in dividually sharpened or replaced if necessar g further object is to provide pitting elements of such form as will cut cleanly around the pits, thus avoiding the wasting of any of the flesh around the pits, as is usually done with ordinary pitting elements.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

v Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the imple ment.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a flat base to rest on a table or the like, the base being bent down and under at one end as at 2 to engage the edge of the table. A clamping screw 3 is provided in connection with the bent portion of the base to frictionally engage the table and to prevent displacement of the base, while the implement is in use.

Projecting upwardly from the base at the end opposite to the clamp is a bearing lug 4 having a plurality of longitudinally alined apertures 5. A post 6 independent of the lug projects 11 wardly therefrom, said post being mounte in connection with. the lug Serial No. 83,719.

by a pin 7 passing through the lower end of the post and any one of the holes 5. A clamping screw 8 mounted in the post passes through a horizontal slot 9 in the lug so that the post may be clamped in any position.

By the provision of a plurality of holes the standard may be fixed at a greater variety of angles relative to the base, a verti cal slot 10 being provided in the base as indicated in Fig. 1, and through which the screw 8 passes.

Therefore except when the post is horizontally disposed as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the screw 8 may be employed at all times to hold the post set at an angular position.

Projecting from the post at right angles thereto is a straight rigid blade and fruit guide 11, having a sleeve 12 at one end to removably but non-turnably fit over the post. A suitable pin 13 on the post limits the downward movement of the sleeve.

Another blade 14. similar to the blade 11 also projects from the post in spaced but parallel relation to the blade 11, this blade also having a sleeve 15 to removably fit on the post. A spaced sleeve 16 on the post between the blades 11 and 14: maintains the latter in suitable spaced relation to each other.

The sleeves and post are-square in cross section so that the blades may be set in a vertical plane parallel to the base, or otherwise as may be desired.

The adjacent faces of both blades are sharpened longitudinally from a. point a certain distance from the sleeves to their opposite ends, at which ends the sharpened edges curve away from each other as indicated at 17. At the outer ends of these curved portions guards are formed with or connected to the blades in the form of horizontally disposed rings 18.

Pitting blades 19 extend between the blades 11 and 14 intermediate the ends thereof and are disposed in longitudinally spaced relation to each other. The forward or cutting edge A of each pitting blade is convexly curved relative to'the front end of the straight blades, as shown in Fig. 1. Both blades 19 are bowed away from each other. This curvature is such that the rear edges B of the pitting blades are further away from the vertical plane of the straight blades than are the forward or cuttingedges of said pitting blades, shown in F 9 The tent and form of these diverging concave curvatures of the pitting blades are such as to approximate the curvature of a peach pit approaching the pitting blades from the forward ends of the straight blades.

The pitting blades are removably secured to the straight blades by means of flat cars 20 formed as extensions of said pitting blades which abut against the sides of the straight blades. It is to be understood that the pitting blades are disposed oppositely relative to each other, and that the ears of the two pitting blades are on opposite sides of the straight blades.

Headed pins 21 fixed in the ears pass through longitudinal slots 22 in the straight blades, these slots at their forward ends be ing of sufficient size to permit passage of the pin heads therethrough.

In this manner the pitting blades are normally held against removal, but on moving the same forward the pins 21 can be withdrawn from the slots by lateral movement of the blades 19.

In operation the peach 23 to be pitted is .held on opposite sides by both hands of the operator, one hand being on one side of the straight blades and one on the other, the peach being held so that its natural plane of cleavage is alined with the blades. The peach is then pressed between the blades from the forward edges thereof, being given a longitudinal movement, preferably accomplished by an initial turning movement in a vertical plane so as to cause the peach to be cut through to the pit 28 at its forward end as well as along the opposite sides thereof. When the peach reaches the first pitting blade the latter passes between and wedges apartthe adjacent half of the fruit, and with a further longitudinal movement of the peach said pitting blade will pass cleanly around the pit on one side thereof, and will sever the pit from the flesh. This clean cutting of the pit from the fruit is owing to the curvature of the pitting blade which as before stated conforms substantially to the curvature of the pit.

One half of the fruit then drops from the pit and the other half of the fruit, together with the pit connected thereto, is moved along the straight blades until the further pitting blade is reached. The latter then acts on the other side of the pit, causing the same to be removed from the adjacent half of the fruit. The blades 19 being longitudinally spaced avoid the necessity of attaching the same so as to be yieldable. This is because this arrangement allows each blade to engage the pit independently of the other and with pits in different peaches of inevitably different sizes, the blades can still pass clean around the pit regardless of the size thereof. In this functioning the peach can yield laterally one way or the other so as to cause the blade to be maintained in close engagement with the pit. T he spacing of the blades also prevents the pit when finally severed from being held between the blades, as would be the case unless said blades were set. so that the pit could drop horizontally thcrebetween, which of course is not the arrangement of this structure, nor is it desired.

The guarus 18 prevent the hands of the operator from coming in contact with the sharp blades as the peach is pressed between the latter, and of course prevent the hands from being cut should the peach suddenly slip forward.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that l have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

vlhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A peach pitter comprising spaced and opposed blades sharpened along their adjacent edges, to cut the flesh of a peach moved longitudinally between the blades, blades shaped to engage and cut the flesh from about the opposite sides of the peach pit, extending between the first named blades intermediate their ends, said pitting blades being spaced apart along the first named blades sutliciently to enable one pitting blade to act on the corresponding side of the pit independently and ahead of the other blade.

:2. A peach pitter including a pair of horizontal blades vertically spaced and sharpened along their adjacent edges, and opposed pitting blades in the form of relatively narrow vertical elements extending between the horizontal blades, the pitting blades being bowed away from each other.

3. A peach pitter including a post, a sup port below the post for attachment to a fixed surface, means between the post and support for holding the post at different angles relative to the support, spaced blades projecting rigidly from one side of the post, and pitting elements mounted in fixed relation with the blades, whereby the blades and pitting elements move in unison with the adjustment of the post.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAlif REYNOLDS. 

